Counter storage and visual readout means



June 30, 19,70 w. scHURMANN COUNTER STORAGE AND VISUAL READOUT MEANS Filed Jan. l5, 1967 I NVE/WOR f Mmc@ @fawn- ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,518,412 COUNTER STORAGE AND VISUAL READOUT MEANS Werner Schrmann, Herrliberg, Switzerland, assguor to Mettler Instrumente AG., Zurich, Switzerland, a corporation of Switzerland Filed Jan. 13, 1967, Ser. No. 609,206 Claims priority, application Switzerland, May 25, 1966, 7,583/66 Int. Cl. G06m 3/06 U.S. Cl. 23S-92 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Counter apparatus including improved read-out means, comprising a set of digit-bearing counting cylinders secured to parallel shafts journalled in a frame, and at least one set of digit-bearing storage cylinders mounted for free rotational and sliding movement on the shafts. The

invention is characterized in that the storage cylinders normally have a retracted position relative to the frame in which said storage cylinders are coupled with the shafts at the same orientation as said counting cylinders, respectively, displacement means being provided for shifting said set of storage cylinders axially relative to the frame to a read-out position in which the storage cylinders are decoupled from the shafts. The displacement means include arrester means for preventing rotation of the storage cylinders when in the decoupled read-out position.

This invention relates to a counter apparatus for numerically indicating measurements given by an input device. Such a counter apparatus comprises a frame and a plurality of digit-bearing counting cylinders rotatably mounted in said frame and adapted to display multiplace figures. The counting cylinder representing the lowest-value decimal place is driven by said input device and tens-transfer mechanisms are provided to act between said counting cylinders in a manner to advance a given counting cylinder by the adjacent counting cylinder representing the next lower-value decimal place.

The main object of this invention is to provide in a counter apparatus of the kind outlined simple and reliable means for storing measurements which are displayed at given moments without stopping the counter apparatus for this purpose. To this end the said counter apparatus in addition comprises a plurality of shafts rotatably mounted in said frame, each of said shafts having but one of said digit-bearing counting cylinders fastened to it and extending in a direction transverse to the direction in which said multi-place figures are read-off`said counting cylinders; at least one set of digit-bearing storage cylinders, each of which being mounted on one of said shafts to be axially movable between two limit positions in one of which it is coupled to the respective shaft and in the other of which it is decoupled from said shaft; coupling means which bring the digit shown by each of said storage cylinders automatically into agreement with the digit shown by the counting cylinder sitting on the same shaft when said storage cylinder is in said coupled position; arresting means for preventing a rotation of each of said storage cylinders 4when the same is in said uncoupled position; and a displacement device mounted in said frame and associated with each of said storage sets for the simultaneous axial displacement of all the Storage cylinders belonging to said set.

These and other objects and adavntages of the invention will best be understood from the following description of a specific embodiment when read in connection with the accompanying drawing in which is illustrated a ice simplified perspective view of a counter apparatus with partly-fragmented front elevations of certain parts.

The counter apparatus illustrated in the drawing has a three-place decimal counter 11 with counter shafts 12 extending vertically. The tens-transfer mechanisms each have a toothed intermediate spindle 13, which spindles are also vertical. On each of the three shafts 12 is fastened a digit-bearing counting cylinder 14, and the counting cylinders 14 of the counter set are juxtaposed in a horizontal direction. The shaft 12 on the extreme right is driven through an intermediate gearing by an input device 15; this may, for example, be an electrically actuated step-by-step motor but is not shown in detail in the drawing. The shafts 12 and the intermediate spindles 13 are mounted in the frame 16 of the apparatus; the input device 15 may also be attached to the frame. The frame 16 further has a front plate 17 containing a series of windows 18 through which the digits on the display surfaces of the counting cylinders 14 can be successively seen. In the drawing the counting cylinders 14 display the decimal figure 145.

The counter apparatus further has a first set 21 of three digit-bearing storage cylinders 22 which are each mounted for axial displacement on one of the associated shafts 12. Each of the three storage cylinders 22 has a rim 23 with ten teeth. It also has a cam 24 which surrounds the associated shaft 12 and extends axially of the latter, as can be seen in the case of the storage cylinder 22 on the extreme right of the set 21. The cylinders 22 are moved axially with the aid of a displacement device 25 associated with the storage set 21. This device 25 includes a shaft 26 pivotally mounted in the frame 16 with a ratchet 29 fixed to one end. The shaft 26 also has attached to it a pin shaped arresting member 27 and a leaf spring 28 for each of the storage cylinders 22, the leaf spring 28 sliding over one flat surface of the associated storage cylinder 22 and endeavouring to move it towards the arresting member 27. The ratchet 29 is engaged by a tension spring 30 which raises the free ends of the ratchet 29, arresting members 27 and leaf springs 28, and thus the storage cylinders 22. In the uppermost position of the displacement device 25 and of the storage cylinders 22 of the set 21 the arresting members 27 engage in the toothed rims 23 on the storage cylinders 22 and prevent them from rotating, but since the shafts 12 go on turning, the storage cylinders 22 have to be uncoupled therefrom in this uppermost limit position. For this purpose a pin 31 extending radially from each shaft 12 is provided at a level such that it can go on turning below the cam 24 of the appropriate storage cylinder 22. The windows 32 in the front plate 17 are positioned so that the digits on the storage cylinders 22 appear in the windows 32 only when these cylinders 22 are in the said uppermost position, in which they are uncoupled from the respective shafts 12. In the drawing the set 21 is thus shown with its storage cylinders 22 in the uncoupled and uppermost limit position and with the associated displacement device 25 in its corresponding end position.

If on the other hand the ratchet 29 is moved down against the action of the tension spring 30, the leaf springs 28 will force down the storage cylinders 22 until the pins 31 enga-ge in the top corner of the cams 24 and the arresting members 27 have been disengaged from the toothed rims 23 of the storage cylinders 22. In the resultant lowermost limit position the storage cylinders 22 are then coupled to the counter shafts 12 in such a way that the front surface of each cylinder 22 shows the same digit as the counting cylinder 14 xed to the same shaft 12. If one or more of the storage cylinders 22 should not yet be showing the same digit as the associated counting cylinder 14 at the time of the transition from the uncoupled to the coupled position, then the storage cylinder 22 in question will be further rotated by the action of the cam 24 and the pin 31 sliding along it until the pin 31 has engaged in the top corner of the carn 24. This is a simple and effective way of automatically ensuring that when the storage cylinders 22 are in the coupled position their digits always agree with those on the corresponding counting cylinders 14.

In the said coupled limit position of tte storage cylinders 22 of set 21, the digits on cylinc' ers 22 are not visible through the windows 32 because of the lowering of the storage cylinders 22.

The displacement device 25 associated with the storage set 21 has an electro-mechanical relay 33 with a movable armature 34 which is acted on by a compression spring 35. The spring 35 endeavours to shift the armature 34 forwards when the relay coil is not energized. In this foremost position of the armature 34 the ratchet 29 can engage in the pin 36 on the armature 34 so that the ratchet 29 is then-against the action of the tension spring 30-kept in its lowermost position in which the storage cylinders 22 are coupled to the shafts. But if the coil of the relay is energized the armature 34 will move back against the compression spring 35 and will release the ratchet 29. The latter is immediately raised by the spring 30, resulting in the uncoupling of the storage cylinders 22 from the shafts 12. Through the windows 32 the storage cylinders 22 then show the digits which the counting cylinders 14 showed through the Windows 18 when the relay 33 was energized, thereby producing the desired storage effect.

In addition to the first storage set 21 already explained the illustrated embodiment of the invention has another two storage sets 41 and 61 in which all the associated parts are identical with those in set 21. Thus the set 41 has digit-bearing storage cylinders 42 an associated displacement device in which the ratchet is shown at 49 and the relay at 53. The storage set 61 similarly has the storage cylinders 62, a ratchet 69 and a relay 73. The ratchets 49 and 69 are shown in their lowermost engaged position, so that the storage cylinders 42 and 62 are each in their coupled limit position, with the result that the digits on them are not visible through the series of windows 52 or 72. Where three independently operable storage sets 21, 41 and 61 are used it is possible to store the numerical reading of measurements obtained at the counter 11 at any three predetermined times.

It is desirable for the counter apparatus described to have a resetting key 77 to move one or more of the storage sets 21, 41, 61 from the uncoupled end position of the storage cylinders back to the coupled end position thereof so that the storage sets in question can he made ready for further storing action. For this purpose the key 77 is fixed to a slide 78 which is guided parallel in the frame 16 and kept in a raised position by means of a tension spring 79. The slide 78 has pegs 80 with which the ratchets 29, 49, 69 can be brought into contact from below as shown in the case of the ratchet 29. By temporarily depressing the key 77 it is possible to lower all the ratchets (eg. 29) which are in contact with the pegs 80 so that they come into engagement as illustrated in the case of ratchets 49 and 69.

The shaft 12 at the extreme right, which is driven by the input device 15, has a cam plate 81 fixed to it. -In a given angular position the cam plate 81 opens an electric contact 82 in the line 83 leading jointly to relays 33, 53 and 73. This angular position of the cam plate 81 is such that the contact v82 is open whenever the shaft 12 carries over a ten-transfer, i.e. wherever more than one of the counting cylinders 14 is simultaneously advanced one step. The opening of contact 82 thus prevents one of the storage sets 21, 41 or 61 from being transferred from the coupled to the uncoupled position just when a tentransfer is being carried over. One of the storage sets 21, 41 or 61 can thus respond and store a figure or value only before or after'the carrying over of a ten-transfer. This prevents any erroneous storage, particularly in the higher-value decimal places of the figure to be stored.

In practice the counter apparatus can be used as follows:

The current value of a measurement received from the input device 15 is indicated by means of the counting cylinders 14 of the counter 11 and this value usually alters in the course of time. The purpose is to store the current value of the measurement at three predetermined times so that these values can be read off later as required. The times for storing the measurements may, for example, be determined by a time switch or can even be made dependent on the occurrence of a given event. Relays 33, 53, and 73 are connected to the appropriate circuits including the comon lead 83, which thus act as control circuits and may bring the various storage sets 21, 41 and 61 into action. The key 77 is first depressed so as to bring the storage cylinders of all three storage sets into the coupled position as already illustrated in the case of sets 41 and 61. In this position the storage cylinders show the same digits as the cylinders of the counter 11 which are on the same shaft 12. If the storage cylinders of one of the storage sets were still in the uncoupled uppermost position and showing a stored gure different from the figure shown on the counting cylinders of the counter 11 before the ykey 77 is depressed, the depression of key 77 will, owing to the action of cams 24 and pins 31, brings the digits into agreement on coupling without any further measures being taken.

Once the key 77 has been depressed the digits of all the digit-bearing cylinders mounted on the same shaft 12 in any case coincide, so that the digit-bearing cylinders in each storage set can join in all the movements of the counting cylinders 14 of the counter 11. If, for example, relay 33 is energized, then because of the backward movement of the armature 34 the ratchet 29 will snap upwards, thereby bringing the storage cylinders 22 of the storage set 21 into the uppermost uncoupled position, in which the figure 145 appears in the windows 32 because when the relay 33 was energized the counting cylinders 14 of the counter 11 also showed the ligure 145 through the windows 18. Similarly the storage sets 41 and 61 will store the figures indicated by the counting cylinders 14 when the relays 53 and 73 are energized. When the storage sets 21, 41, 61 have responded once the stored figures will be retained and remain visible in the windows 32, 52, 72 until the key 77 is depressed once more.

The counter apparatus is particularly suitable for laboratory work, in carrying out measurements which can be automated and which extend over long or indefinite periods of time as may, for example, be the case when determining the melting points of series of different samples. The counter cylinders 14 of the counter 11 can indicate the furnace temperature, which may possibly be varied according to a test program, the assumption being that all the samples are in the same furnace. The melting process is investigated photoelectrically and separately for each sample, and one of relays 33, 53, 73 will be associated with each sample. The relay in question may be connected, possibly by an electronic intermediate amplifier, to the photoelectric cell belonging to the sample in such a way that it responds as soon as the sample begins to melt. By the response of the storage set associated with the sample the melting temperature of the latter is then immediately indicated and stored.

There are a large number of other possible applications of the counter apparatus in carrying out a plurality of similar measurements without any supervision.

The counter 11 and thus the set of the counting cylinders 14 may have any desired number of decimal places, and the same applies to the storage sets. The number of storage sets may also be increased without any dfiiculty depending on requirements.

Also each storage cylinder is shown as having a cam 24 cooperating with a pin 31 carried by its respective shaft, it is also feasible to mount the cam on the shaft and arrange for a pin or equivalent member to project from the storage cylinder in question.

These and other modifications which may occur to those familiar with the art fall Within the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. Counter apparatus, comprising:

a frame (16);

counting means including a plurality of parallel shafts (12) journalled in said frame, a set of digit-bearing counting cylinders (14) secured to said shafts, respectively, and tens-transfer means (13) connecting said shafts to cause said counting cylinders to display a multi-place decade number;

input means (15) for rotatably driving an input one of said shafts;

storage and visual readout means including at least one set of digit-bearing storage cylinders (22) mounted for free rotational and sliding movement on said shafts, respectively;

coupling means (24, 31) operable when said set of storage cylinders has a retracted coupled position relative to said frame for coupling said cylinders with said shafts at the identical orientation as the corresponding counting cylinders, respectively;

displacement means (25) for simultaneously displacing said set of storage cylinders axially relative to said frame to a read-out position in which said storage cylinders are decoupled from said shafts, respectively, said displacement means including arresting means (27) for preventing rotation of said storage cylinders when said cylinders are in the decoupled read-out position; and

means (29, 36) normally maintaining said set of storage cylinders in the coupled position during said driving of said input shaft.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said coupling means comprises for each of said storage cylinders a cam member (24) having a cam face surrounding and extending axially of the corresponding shaft, and a pin member (31) extending radially of said shaft, one of said members being mounted on said storage cylinder and the other of said members being mounted on said shaft.

3. Apparatus as dened in claim 1, wherein said arresting means comprises for each of said storage cylinders a toothed rim portion (23) on said storage cylinder, and a pin-shaped arresting member (27) connected with said frame for engaging said rim portion when said storage cylinder is in the decoupled read-out position.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said displacement means comprises a displacement member (26) rotatably connected with said frame for movement about a transverse axis contained in a plane normal to said shafts, means including said arresting means for connecting said displacement member with said set of storage cylinders, and spring means (30) normally biasing said displacement member in a direction to shift said storage cylinders toward the read-out position; and further wherein said means for normally retaining said set of storage cylinders in the coupled position comprises latch means including a ratchet (29) connected with said displacement member.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein said latch means further includes a latch pin (36), and solenoid means (33) connected with said frame and including an armature (34) for operating said latch pin between locked and unlocked positions relative to said ratchet.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 4, and further including means (81, 82) operable during the period of tens transfer for preventing movement of said ratchet when said storage cylinders are in the coupled position.

7. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said frame includes an apertured panel containing a first set of apertures arranged to afford continuous view of the digits on said counting cylinders, said panel containing a second set of apertures affording view of said storage cylinders only when said set of storage cylinders are in the read-out position relative to the frame.

8. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, and further including at least one second set of storage cylinders (41, 61) mounted for sliding and rotational movement on said shafts, respectively;

coupling means for coupling said second set of storage cylinders to said shafts when said second storage cylinders are in a retracted position relative to said frame; and

second displacement means for simultaneously displacing said second set of storage cylinders axially relative to said frame to a read-out position in which said second storage cylinders are decoupled from said shafts, respectively.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 8/1933 Smith 23S- 92 2/l967 Ham et al 235--92 U.S. Cl. X.R. 340-378 

